Carlsberg Alumni Spotlight – Antoine Bibeau
A native of Victoriaville, Quebec, Antoine Bibeau grew up dreaming of reaching the highest echelons of the hockey world. Now, at the age of 30, it’s safe to say that dream has become a reality for the goaltender.
A fifth-round pick of the Lewiston MAINEiacs back in 2010, Bibeau first enjoyed a sparkling career in the QMJHL, between 2011 and 2014.
In particular, he had the distinction of wearing the colors of two teams that no longer exist: the MAINEiacs and the Prince Edward Island Rocket. But it was with the Val-d’Or Foreurs that the masked man spent his finest moments.
“My greatest QMJHL experience was undoubtedly the playoff run that saw us win the President’s Cup with the Foreurs in 2013-2014, as well as the Memorial Cup tournament that followed,” he admits. “Having the chance to finish by lifting the cup put a nice full circle on my major junior career!”
“Junior hockey brings great life experiences on the ice, but also off the ice. I grew a lot as a hockey player, but above all as a person. I learned to have a good work ethic, to be resourceful and I became perfectly bilingual. All things that serve me well to this day!” he adds.
In June 2013, Bibeau, then 18 years old, took another step towards realizing his childhood dream when the Toronto Maple Leafs made him their sixth-round pick in the NHL Draft.
“The feeling of being drafted into the NHL was special. It’s every hockey player’s dream to play in the NHL one day,” he recalls. “I was on site in New Jersey for the draft, with my family, which made the moment even more special not only for me but also for my parents, who have made enormous sacrifices to give me the chance to play hockey and flourish.”
It was with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League that he took his first steps in professional hockey. As a rookie, he turned a lot of heads, finishing the 2014-2015 season with a 15-10-5-4 record and a solid .913% save percentage.
“On the ice, I felt comfortable pretty quickly and had a good first season with the Marlies,” he points out. But like all youngsters straight out of the junior hockey ranks, he quickly had to learn to stand on his own two feet away from the rink.
“It was my first time living on my own, in an apartment, and having to do my own laundry, dishes, pay my rent and all that. But, fortunately, my QMJHL career had prepared me well to deal with the other changes that come with pro hockey.”
It was finally in December of 2016, in his third professional season, that the call he’d been waiting for since he was a youngster finally came.
“I had worked hard in the AHL to earn a call-up to the NHL, so I was proud of myself when I got my first call-up,” the goalie remembers. “My first game was in Toronto, against the Colorado Avalanche!”
“My family was there again, which made the moment even more memorable. Oddly enough, one of the things I remember most about that night is that I was no more nervous than I would have been in a game in junior, or the AHL. I was ready for the challenge and wanted to have fun, without thinking too much, and that’s what I did!”
Bibeau made 26 saves that night, giving up two power play goals to the Avalanche, one to Mikko Rantanen and one to Nathan MacKinnon. Not a bad start! Two weeks later, he recorded a 3-2 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in his second NHL game.
He would spend the next two campaigns with the San Jose Barracuda, the Sharks’ farm team, even earning himself a spot in the AHL All-Star Game. In 2019, Bibeau was traded to Colorado during the Sharks’ training camp. Unfortunately, he missed most of that season due to injury, but still played two games for the Avalanche.
Finally, in 2023, after nine seasons in the AHL and four NHL games, he decided to head for Sweden. With a little hindsight, the goalkeeper admits today that the decision, which was not an easy one to make, was the right one for him and his little family.
“I was ready for something different. By deciding to go and play in Sweden, I found a certain stability that was important for my family,” he explains. “Having the chance to travel and live in Europe is really special and I’m blessed to be able to share these moments with my wife [Erin] and my young boy [Noah].”
His adaptation with the AIK IF club went very well, mentions Bibeau.
“The style of hockey is a little different, as is playing on a bigger ice surface,” he says. “But after a few weeks, I was already feeling comfortable. Off the ice, it’s also very different, but we love the lifestyle here!”
“There’s a lot less travel, so I’m lucky to be home more often than I was in North America. Having the chance to learn a new culture, alongside my family, is very valuable too.”
The goalkeeper hasn’t set any long-term goals. For the time being, he intends to enjoy every moment he spends on the Old Continent with his loved ones. Bibeau is obviously at ease in his new surroundings, having finished last season with a save percentage of .922%, the second-best in the entire Swedish circuit.
This performance earned him a new contract for the 2024-2025 campaign, where he now continues his European adventure with KooKoo, in the Liiga, Finland’s top hockey league.
“I love my European experience right now and I want to make the most of it. I’m going one season at a time and I’m open to coming back to North America, eventually, but the context will have to be the right one, not only hockey-wise, but also familywise,” he says. “I’m at a point in my career where every decision is taken as a family, for everyone’s well-being!”
